The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, a federally recognized tribe, holds a significant place in the history and cultural landscape of the Great Lakes region and the American Midwest. Their story is one of resilience, adaptation, and the enduring strength of cultural identity in the face of immense pressures. According to tribal tradition, the Prairie Band Potawatomi share deep historical ties with the Chippewa (Ojibwe) and Ottawa peoples. These three distinct but related groups together formed the Council of Three Fires, a long-standing alliance rooted in shared ancestry and mutual support. Historical accounts, including those documented by Jesuit missionaries as late as 1841, suggest that these groups maintained close proximity and association in the upper Great Lakes region.
Today, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation primarily resides in Kansas, their ancestral lands far to the east having been impacted by treaties, displacement, and government policies. The people who comprise the Prairie Band Potawatomi are largely descendants of Potawatomi individuals and families who originally hailed from Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. Their journey westward is a testament to the turbulent history of Native American tribes in the United States.
Official Information and Governance
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation operates under a constitution established under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, and approved by the Secretary of the Interior on February 19, 1976. The heart of their governance lies in the Tribal Council, a body of seven elected representatives chosen by the General Council, composed of all voting-age members of the Tribe. Elections are held annually, ensuring a rotation of leadership and staggered four-year terms. The Tribal Council is composed of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and three additional Council members.
The nation’s headquarters are located at 16281 Q Road, Mayetta, KS 66509-8970. They can be contacted by phone at (785) 966-4000. Further information, including contact forms and resources, can be found on their official website: www.pbpindiantribe.com/.
Names and Identity
The name "Potawatomi" itself carries deep meaning. The traditional name for the Potawatomi people is Neshnabek, which simply means "the Potawatomi." However, the name Bode’wadmi – "Firekeepers" – speaks to their role within the Council of Three Fires. The name Potawatomink or Potawaganink translates to "people of the place of the fire" or "nation of fire," a designation that originally encompassed the Potawatomi and their close allies, the Sauk. Historically, the tribe has also been known as the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indians. Variant spellings, such as Potawatomie and Pattowatomie, can also be found in historical documents.
Territory and Displacement
The traditional territory of the Potawatomi people once encompassed a vast area surrounding the Great Lakes. Early encounters with non-Indians date back to 1641. By 1670, some Potawatomi were documented residing on islands near Green Bay, in proximity to the Jesuit mission of St. Francis Xavier. Their gradual movement southward led them to establish settlements along the Milwaukee River, near present-day Chicago, and along the St. Joseph River, in lands previously occupied by the Miami.
By the 19th century, their territory stretched around the southern end of Lake Michigan, from the Milwaukee River in Wisconsin to the Grand River in Michigan, extending southwest across northern Illinois, eastward across Michigan toward Lake Erie, and southward into Indiana. Within this expansive territory, they maintained approximately 50 distinct villages.
As European settlement intensified, the Potawatomi were subjected to increasing pressure to cede their lands. Through a series of treaties and agreements, they gradually sold off portions of their territory and were pushed westward across the Mississippi River. Despite this displacement, some Potawatomi families remained in Indiana until forcibly removed by the military. Others sought refuge in Canada, eventually settling on Walpole Island in Lake St. Clair.
Those who were moved west were initially settled in western Iowa and Kansas. In 1846, efforts were made to consolidate the Potawatomi onto a single reservation in Kansas.
Treaties and Land Loss
The history of the Potawatomi is inextricably linked to a series of treaties with European powers and the United States government. During the French and Indian War, they allied with the French. They were also prominent in Pontiac’s Rebellion. During the American Revolution, they took up arms against the newly formed United States, engaging in hostilities until the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. They once again sided with the British during the War of 1812, finally establishing peace through treaties in 1815.
The 1829 Treaty of Prairie du Chien stands as a significant example of broken promises and land dispossession. This treaty reserved two sections of land near Paw Paw Grove, Illinois, for Chief Shab-eh-nay and his band. However, in 1849, the U.S. Government illegally sold this land through public auction. Because the tribe’s rights to the reservation were never legally extinguished through an act of Congress or a subsequent treaty, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation asserts its continued legal claim to this land.
Further treaties in 1861 and 1867 further diminished the tribe’s landholdings. The original reservation, encompassing 568,223 acres, was divided into individual parcels and granted to various interests. Railroad companies received over 338,000 acres, while Jesuit and Baptist organizations received 320 acres each. The remaining land was divided into individual allotments. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation was reduced to a mere 11 square miles in the northeast corner of the original reservation. This systematic exploitation of Indian lands fueled the economic development of white settlers and businesses.
By 1867, the Potawatomi’s land holdings had decreased by 87 percent, from an initial 568,223 acres in 1846 to a mere 77,357 acres. The Dawes Act, or General Allotment Act of 1887, further exacerbated this situation. This law aimed to assimilate Native Americans by allotting individual plots of land, dismantling tribal relationships, and ending communal land ownership.
Reservation and Population
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Reservation is located in Jackson County, Kansas, approximately 17 miles north of Topeka and 3 miles south of Horton. The original reservation, established under the Treaty of June 5 and 17, 1846, initially comprised 576,000 acres. However, subsequent treaties and legislation led to allotment and the sale of surplus lands.
The current reservation is 11 miles square, encompassing 19,682 acres of individually owned land and 2,961 acres of tribal land. While over 5,000 individuals are enrolled as Prairie Band Potawatomi tribal members, only about 463 reside on the reservation as of 2000. The total reservation population is around 900, with Potawatomi people making up approximately 46% of the population. The remaining residents are primarily white, with a smaller number of members from other tribes.
Tribal enrollment requirements have become more stringent since a May 2000 amendment to the constitution, which requires members to possess at least 1/4 Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation blood quantum.
Language and Culture
The Potawatomi language is classified within the Algic language family, specifically the Algonquian branch and the Central Algonquian subgroup. It is closely related to the Ojibwayan dialect complex. Tragically, the Potawatomi language is critically endangered, with an estimated 50 first-language speakers scattered across various communities in the United States and Canada. These communities include the Hannahville Indian Community, the Pokagon and Huron Bands, the Forest County Band, the Prairie Band, and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma.
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, like other Potawatomi tribes, is actively engaged in language revitalization efforts to preserve and promote their linguistic heritage.
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is a testament to the endurance of the Potawatomi people. Despite facing displacement, land loss, and cultural assimilation, they have maintained their identity, preserved their traditions, and continue to strive for self-determination. Their history serves as a reminder of the complex and often tragic relationship between Native American tribes and the United States government, while also highlighting the resilience and strength of indigenous cultures.
Related Tribes and Allies
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation recognizes its close ties to other Potawatomi tribes, including the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Hannahville Indian Community, Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. Historically, the Potawatomi have also maintained alliances with the Chippewa, Sac (Sauk), Fox, and Kickapoo tribes.